This was not just another conference, it was a first ever for Canada, a ground breaking time, a kairos moment, standing on holy ground! Such were the sentiments expressed at this very timely get together of over 80 leaders from 35 towns and cities from Vancouver to Halifax. Three days in a hotel with a beautiful spirit of worship and prayer that led us to adore Jesus and to be more effective in reaching and discipling our cities for Christ. We were provoked by transformational teachers and fellowshipped over break-out groups and meals. God was glorified and most of us seemed to buy about six inspiring books for the journey home! We were extremely grateful to the city leadership groups of Mission GTA and Mission Ottawa/Outaouais that convened the Consultation - represented by Richard Long, Barry Boucher, Ken Hall and Mark Peterkins. Here are a few nuggets from each of the main speakers to inspire you to get the tapes!

TOM WHITE – Frontline Ministries – Oregon, USA

Tom has international experience with city-wide prayer movements. His desire is to help groups of leaders consolidate their unity to catalyze vision for more effectively reaching their communities:

‘Transformation: The emergence of viable models of Kingdom expression that are sustainable, that make impact on social structures.’
‘Where the Kingdom of God has infiltrated every area of society bringing the life of Jesus to many in that community with an expression of justice and welfare for all.’
‘The one body in a city is responsible to disciple the souls in that city.’
‘Make one new friend in your community in 2006 – deal with loneliness.’
‘Anointed activism – cities that move have a leader or a core group of leaders with apostolic gifting that is authoritative.’
‘A wise leader learns to read the season, avoiding the miseries of panic, discouragement.’
‘In Boise Idaho, the churches made an impact on the city by writing $17,000 in cheques to pay outstanding traffic/parking fines!’
‘Gatekeepers can usually recognize other gatekeepers.’
‘Evangelicals need to release charismatics to be charismatics!’

MARTIN SCOTT – Sowing Seeds For Revival Team – Leatherhead, UK

Martin is one of the UK’s leading city-reachers and the author of a couple of books that went like hot-cakes! His overall desire is to see a generation rise up who know the Lord and are strong in Him.

Martin started by defining where he thought we were at – just like the blind man who was sent by Jesus to the pool of Siloam to receive his sight there. He was sent but still blind and stumbling on the journey to being healed.! (John 9:1-7)

These are the days of Elijah? No, Amos! Inward righteousness will express itself in outward looking justice.

Question: What is at the very heart of city-reaching? If it is my church then that is not enough. Focus on changed lives in the community.
Question: If finance was not an issue I would want to help the body of Christ to find the people who can recapture the dream!

Things that we have hope in have to die, but we must not lose heart. God is already preparing us for the next phase. Isaiah 43 – the new thing is always difficult to see because it is just springing up. A bigger reformation is to take place.

There is no map for our journey

Be careful of those who want to sell you maps!

Determine who you want to journey with -

You will never convince the 10 spies to take the land,

Walk with the two!

GLEN SMITH – Direction Chrétienne/Christian Direction - Montreal

Glen has a burden to minister on following Jesus in all of life:

We are apprentices to Jesus committed to transformation.
At the heart of our mission we are incarnating reconciliation 24/7 in the community.
We announce good news…and clean up the streets.
The enlarged aspect of the Kingdom is obedience to Jesus into every area of society.
There is no fit all theology! Theology is always contextual.
Christendom is over!
There are brave new ways of what church looks like.
The privatization of orthodoxy is an evil! Invite people to follow Jesus into the public world and all of life.

12 Key Indicators of a Transformed City

Glen gave an impassioned talk on 12 indicators that inspired vision for a transformed city.

1. Increasing number of churches actively involved in spiritual transformation.
2. Concrete acts of reconciliation and justice for the welfare of the city.
3. Leaders leading a demonstration of the Gospel in all aspects of the city.
4. Equity in all aspects of the city.
5. Children and youth welfare and wellness.
6. Decline in Suicides.
7. Marriage & Family health
8. Most vulnerable reconnecting through multiple opportunities.
9. Decline in violence.
10. Decline in sexual abuse against women and children.
11. Artistic expression and Heritage valued
12. Environmental improvement.

W. CLAYTON ROWE – World Vision Canada – St. James Town, Toronto

'Transformation and Justice’

Clayton has a passion to see that the ‘least and the last’ are not left out of our thinking as we consider the transformation of our Canadian cities. He instructed us to end child poverty and injustice in our own communities. The vision for every child was ‘life in all its fullness’. This was not a comfortable session. The break-out groups struggled to respond to what he shared.

Poverty was referred to as brokenness in four key elements: mental, spiritual, physical and social. But he also mentioned another powerful definition:

‘Poverty is the belief you are powerless to move beyond your brokenness.’

His statistics were scary and got our attention

1.1 million children living in poverty in Canada.
57,000 Moms and children experience hunger on a regular basis
778,000 use a food bank regularly
250,000 homeless in Canada
Poverty is becoming concentrated in fewer larger cities
In Greater Vancouver 20.8% of people are on low income = 413,289 people!
Many nations act against poverty better than Canada.

Question: How is the evangelical church going to reclaim our cities if they flee to the suburbs for cheaper land and more parking?!
Jim Wallis was quoted as saying, ‘there were 2000 scriptures that linked care for the poor to a desire to be rightly related with God!’
Key scripture passage was Isaiah 65:17-24 (Message version is powerful)

Near the end of the Consultation Galatians 2:10 was declared where James, Cephas and John exhorted Paul and Barnabas to remember the poor in their mission to the Gentiles.

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Links to various groups and leaders mentioned above:

Intercessors for Canada

Intercessors for Canada is a group of Canadian Christian leaders and intercessors who seek God to hear what He is saying to our nation. It is our prayer that through the ministry of IFC you will be strengthened in your prayer life, and that a Spirit of Prayer will come upon you for Canada.